"Top Gun" flight instructor and aerobatic pilot Charles Thomas "Chuck" Coleman has died in a plane crash during an air show at Las Cruces International Airport in New Mexico, reports Sky News. The crash occurred when Coleman, alone in the plane, was performing an aerobatic stunt.
Coleman was an aeronautical engineer and test pilot with over 10,000 hours of flight experience.
As a flight instructor, he prepared the actors for "Top Gun: Maverick". Coleman made over 100 flights to train them before filming in the US Navy's fighter jets, and Miles Teller is now paying tribute to him in a post on X:
"He was kind, humble, and curious about others and the world we live in. He left us too soon, but his contributions will live on forever. Thanks for all the memories, Chuck", writes Miles Teller, who plays one of the pilots in the film.
There is still no explanation for the crash, which is being investigated by the police and other authorities.
